


Forty-eight Hours

by Zhizwoop



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Eventual Smut, F/M, Slight Enemies to Lovers trope, Slow Burn, Smut, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:56:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26192287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhizwoop/pseuds/Zhizwoop
Summary: A lot can happen in 48h. Levi hated (y/n) and she thought that there was no peculiar reason behind it, even though she wanted to know why. Unbeknownst to her, there was a reason that she didn't thought of. Even if they hated each other, there was some kind of mutual attraction between those two. However they couldn't pursue anything, because her parents had already set her up with someone, but they just couldn't resist each other.
Relationships: Levi/Reader
Kudos: 12





	1. Fiancé

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic in a long time, but my first time writing for this fandom. Also my first time actually posting something lmao.  
> I'm not an English native speaker, and even though I'm trying to correct every mistakes, I'm not a superhero so I'm sorry if you see any mistakes that went through the fishnet. Please bear with me !  
> I hope you will enjoy this story, because I enjoy writing it and I sometimes can't stop myself from writing it.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace."

My hands were shaking. Was it really going to happen ?

* * *

At first I didn't quite know why I wanted to join the Survey Corps. Was it because I wanted to feel useful to humanity ? Perhaps. At the beginning, I found the training to be really harsh, but I got accustomed to this fact. My first missions, I found them horrendous, atrocious, horrible and I often found myself vomiting before the missions because of stress, and after because of all the things that had happened. But now it was okay. I made friends and hoped that they would stay alive. Most of them didn't. But it was okay. That was the price to pay for humanity.

One of my friends that are still alive is Hange Zoë, an eccentric girl fascinated by titans. She was the one I was the closest to, even though we were polar opposite. She was an excited woman that couldn't stay still and I was the more laid back and relaxed one. Often, I gave massages to my comrades, so some stress evacuates their body, but some people, even if others tried to convince them, were still reluctant to the idea of being massaged by me. Lance Corporal Levi was one of them. Besides, if we were roaming in the city this day, it was because of him.

Apparently, a dangerous boy could be a precious asset for the Survey Corps, that's why Commander Erwin Smith wanted him to come with us, and Levi asked us to tag along. Not to watch the trial or anything. No. To run some errands. I sighed deeply as I read once again the list that he gave us, written in a neat fashion, with long and fine lines.

I clicked my tongue, "where the hell do we find those ?" My soft voice rang in the air and I envisaged the possibility that maybe, just maybe, I could not do what I was tasked to do and just stroll around instead.

Hange took, or more like teared the paper away from my grip and read it briefly, "oh yeah, hay ! I think I remember where to buy these," we arrived at a crossroads, "I think it's this way… or this way. Hum…"

I sighed, "listen. Let's just go in the street in front of us and we'll see."

Hange gave me the paper back and I put it back in my pocket. We scanned the area in hope to find the precious place so we could carry on with our to do list.

"Still," Hange pouted, "I wanted to see the trial. Why do we have to do the job of recruits ?"

"Do you think I'm in Levi's brain or something ?"

"You can't even approach him in a ten meters radius without him tensing up and barking at anything," she chuckled, "so being in his brain is nearly impossible."

"I wonder why he hates me so much, though…"

She shrugged and shot a pebble that was minding its own business. It hit the panel on a wall of a shop. I could read that it was a place where we could buy stuff for animals. I put your hand on Hange's shoulder and nodded in the direction of the shop.

"Let's go in there."

* * *

  
  


I was strolling on the market place, Hange tailing me, lifting big packs of hay. She's been in the military for more time than me, it's only natural that she's more muscled than me. So it's also natural that she's the one lifting something that I couldn't lift myself.

_Fresh fish ! Fresh fish !_

_Buy three cucumbers for the price of two ! Three for the price of two ! Don't miss today's sale !_

_Beautiful dresses ! With high quality material ! We have cotton, we have silk, we have beautiful embroidery !_

Each merchant was shouting the name of their products. Of course they had to, if they wanted people to be interested in what they sold, if they wanted to make benefits. The market place was always busy. Because I benefited from quiet environments, this place was a bit tiring for me. But it was nothing that I couldn't overcome.

I tried to look at every stand that was surrounding me, but it was the one who sold dresses that caught my attention. I had to admit that they were really pretty. One in particular caught my eye. It was a long dress with old rose silk. The corset that was sold with it was a deep red velvet and was decorated with some embroideries. On top of the dress, pearl white ruffles to bring attention to the cleavage. It was a simple yet elegant and beautiful dress.

 _Do you think Levi would like this dress ?_ I thought, but quickly shook off this idea and dismissed my sprouting excitation. What was I thinking ? I knew he hated me. He hated me out of nowhere but I guessed that Levi was still Levi. However, even though we weren't on the best terms, each time he looked at me, there was something in his eyes, that I couldn't describe nor tell what it was, but each time he looked at me like that, I felt like melting. My body knew better than my brain, maybe.

So even though he hated me, there was something that I couldn't quite explain that was drawing me closer to him. I felt that if I could approach him and break the wall he built around him, there was something at the end highly satisfying. That's why, unconsciously, I began wanting to appeal to him.

But this dress' cost was too much for me, and what would a squad leader do in that ? Probably nothing. So I averted my gaze from the clothing and carried on walking. Eventually, we found a place where we could get a carriage to go back to the barracks.

Hange was waiting outside as I was walking towards the toilets of the carriage agency. What a wonderful commodity they had here : a place where you could wait, shielded from the wind and coldness of the outside, even though it was spring and the weather was becoming hotter and hotter.

After a few minutes, as I was heading towards Hange's spot, I suddenly heard someone calling me. I turned over and wondered who it could be when I saw a mid-aged woman approaching me.

"Mom ? What are you doing here ?"

It's been a while since I didn't saw her. Last winter if I remember well. We saw each other for the beginning of the winter, and then I had to go back to my duties. It was weird seeing her here, out of nowhere.

My mom smiled at me and patted my head, "you're really beautiful. I'm happy that you're still alive."

I chuckled at that, but I felt that she wanted to tell me something. And I was right. She bit her lip and looked at me, worried. She took my hand and looked at me in the eyes. Since she was shorter than me, I had to look down to see her frowning face.

"Tell me, you haven't found somebody yet ? You're 24 and…" she let out a sigh, "I'm afraid that our only child won't be able to live a happy married life."

I bit my lip and took a quick glance at her before looking away. She was right. I was 24 and I grew older each day. There are less and less chances for me to find a suitable husband. I knew she wanted my happiness, and also wanted grandkids, and a part of me wanted that too. However, I was working at the Survey Corps and I couldn't really have a family. What if I never come back home to my children if I died ?

"Look," she pet my hand, "you know I want your happiness, right ? And normally I wouldn't even do that but…" I could feel that it was difficult to say it.

"It's okay, carry on."

"I found you someone. He's nice, tall, has a proper job. He comes from a good family and is handsome. I want you to marry him. His family and we have already talked about it."

A breath escaped my lungs as I stared at her in shock. What was she saying ? I wasn't expecting to have an arranged marriage, on the contrary, I thought that I would spend the rest of my life alone. Moreover, my parents weren't the kind of people that were super bossy. You wondered if they hadn't another hidden goal that they wouldn't share its details with you.

"I know it can be quite a shock, but please think about it-"

"It's okay," I tried to give her a reassuring look, "what's his name ?"

"Edward Prynne. He and his family live in wall Shina, so you and your household will be safe," she smiled at me. I may be safe but my parents will still live in wall Rose.

"I have a day off this Sunday. Do you think we could meet ?"

My parents wanted me to be safe. They tried to give me a good education and a decent life. They took care of me. They did a lot of things for me and made my life better. So if they wanted me to marry someone, even though it's not out of love, I will. Plus, love marriage only happened in books. Everybody knew that.

My mother seemed happy with my answer and told me where we could meet this Sunday. I nodded and made a mental note of when and where. Since I had my friend that was waiting for me outside, I waved my mother goodbye and headed towards Hange.

She started complaining about how much time I took just to go to the toilets, so I had to explain to her that I met my mother out of the blue and that we had to talk for a bit.

"But did something happen between you and her ?" She asked, concerned.

I furrowed my eyebrows, not really understanding why she asked me that, "no. Nothing important. Just a small chat, about how I'm getting older and older. That's it. Why is that ?"

"I don't know. You seem a bit off," her expert eyes trailed on my figure, scrutinizing every detail that could give off a somewhat information or whatever that could be alike.

Of course I look like that. Even though I wanted to comply with my parents' wish, deep down in my heart, I wanted to experience it, the thing they called love. But it never occurred, and I would probably live for the rest of my days with someone that I don't even have romantic feelings towards.

"No. Don't worry," I smiled at her, "it's just that being remembered that you're getting old is not the nicest thing to hear. By the way," I tried to lead the conversation somewhere else, "what day are we today ? I have a meeting this Sunday, I want to know how many days I have left."

Hange eyed me, "Tuesday. Why ?" Then her face lit up, "oh my ! Could it possibly be that you have to prepare ? So that means we can have an afternoon between girls where we chat and buy things ! What do you need ? We could get it Friday ! We have an afternoon off !"

I chuckled at her excited gibberish she just quickly delivered while gesticulating like crazy. I joined the Survey Corps one year ago and when I met her, she was already like that. I had to admit that her fascination with titans was a bit scary at first, but at the end I understood where she came from and she managed to spark an interest in me.

Of course because she was a squad leader, and me being a simple soldier, it was a bit difficult to see each other. However, since I was the only one who supported every of her shenanigans, people were starting to know me. Or at least recognize me, as I was going with the title 'Hange's friend' for a while. I think that's when people started to notice me more –beside my comrades whom I trained with before joining the Survey Corps– that Levi did too. He was already Lance Corporal when I joined, but he wasn't that cold with me than he was now. Before, he treated me like everyone else, calling me 'shithead' or other flowery names like 'brat' and that was it.

I always tried to follow orders and not cause a mess. I trained everyday and proved to everyone that I was highly capable of taking care of myself, and others. I wasn't outstanding, nor a bootlicker. I just tried to do my best and it eventually paid. I became a squad leader, allowing me to tag along with Hange. I had more responsibilities but also more power –and a better pay at the end of the month.

However that's when troubles began. At first I thought that he didn't stand me. Since I was a squad leader, I had to attend meetings to organize expeditions, and of course the Lance Corporal was here. I thought that it was because he saw me more often that hatred started to grow in him. Plus, one day, Hange decided that I would eat at the same table as the squad leaders, Lance Corporal and Commander, since I always ate with my team. This day I thought I was about to die on the spot.

I could clearly remember the path that I took to go towards their table and what happened while I was walking. His cold eyes, glaring at me, still with this weird sparkle in it that wasn't excitement at all, watching me like a hawk ready to shred its prey. Such an uninviting glare on such a pretty face. Bangs falling delicately on his forehead, slender fingers that were previously gently holding his cup of tea, but now they were gripping it like sharpened claws on an innocent and fragile animal. As I approached him, I could see his sharp jaw slightly moving, not because he was talking, because he was deadly quiet, but because he was grinding his teeth. Of course, oh sweet irony, Hange had to make me sit right in front of him. His jaw clenched so hard that I started to feel pain for the poor man, but at the same time, it made his Adam's apple protrude even more, and it was a very pleasant sight to see.

Since this day he has been getting harsher with me. First it was the nicknames. 'Shithead' and 'brat' were no more. Now it was things like 'patchouli eater,' 'nothing-for-brain,' and the one I hated the most was 'good-for-nothing-daisy-eater.' But I tried not to pay attention to it. That's why, after getting new brand nicknames, I thought that he didn't like the fact that I was more inclined to alternative solutions like relaxation to enhance my team's concentration and mental wellbeing, and he didn't like it because he prefered rough punishments. Also I had a sort of talent for massages, so I gave some there and there when people asked me. Life in the Survey Corps was rough so if I could help, I was glad to do so. Levi didn't seem to like that either.

His constant insults made me lose my credibility as a squad leader. Not only that but he would give me punishments out of nowhere. One time he ordered me to clean the entirety of the lunchroom alone because I breathed too loudly at dinner. It made no sense, but he carried on with his shenanigans nonetheless.

With every sign he gave off, I shouldn't be drawn by him, even though he was some sort of handsome man, but it felt like magnets : polar opposite but attracted to each other. I wanted to discover why there was something so strange about him when he looked at me. Why he hated me when there was no peculiar reason, but he didn't let me. The walls he built around him were too high, too thick. I could only come in if he opened the door, but I was on his blacklist.


	2. Chit chat

Two days have passed since the trial and their mission was a success. They retrieved the boy, but we had to move to our old HQ. We cleaned everything as our Lance Corporal wanted to, but we weren't a lot, so it took some time. Of course I had to clean the dirtiest place out of all the rooms of this mansion. Thanks Levi. I wonder how his team could handle him, sometimes.

I noticed that they were all fond of him, to some extent. One tried to be like him, and it was a pathetic attempt but whatever. The girl, Petra, seemed to have feelings for the short man. Interested in him I would have understood, he was handsome, but having a crush on the man ? With this temperament ? She must have had death wishes. I never got to be this close to his team, because every time I was talking to one of them, if he saw that, he'd shoo me. It was interesting to watch from afar how they behaved and reacted. I somehow wished I could form bonds with them, before it's too late, but our Lance Corporal would burn on the spot out of anger.

We had finished cleaning, and I had nothing left to do. It was Friday and I was hoping that I could benefit from this free afternoon to go shopping with Hange, but she was happy to spend plenty of quality time with her studies, so I was left aside. I couldn't go meet my future in-laws in my uniform, and the few dresses that I had weren't really suited for the place my mom chose. It was supposed to be a fancy restaurant and I had nothing to put on. But right now I was on the brink of death because of boredom. I saw the young boy sitting at a table and sighed. He seemed to be as bored as me. Plus everyone seemed a bit afraid of him, even Levi was on his guard. I shrugged it off and sat next to him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. I'm (y/n) (l/n)," I gave him a smile, because I felt that he was tense.

"I'm Eren. Eren Jäger," he eyed me for a few seconds, "aren't you scared ?"

"Scared of what ?"

"That I can transform into a titan. Since we discovered that, everyone seems like they want to avoid me. Lance Corporal Levi's team seems good, though," he looked down at his cup of water that he was holding in his hand.

I petted his hair and he looked at me, surprised. I smiled at him, "no, I'm not scared. You don't need to worry, Jäger, it's okay," I retracted my hand and thought for a bit, "I heard that our Lance Corporal beat you up, last day. Are you alright ?"

He nodded, "it seems like, just like a titan, I can regenerate. You don't have anything to do, because he seems pretty bossy ?"

"It's my free afternoon. I originally planned to go shopping with Hange, but she's busy," I sighed as I remembered that I still have nothing to put on for Sunday.

"The weird one ?"

I chuckled, "yes, the weird one."

He seemed to relax a bit as this conversation carried on. After all he couldn't be blamed. A new environment, the military, the persistent good mood of Levi, everything could be stressful for the boy. Moreover, they made him sleep in jail, which wasn't the sweetest place to rest. Hopefully for him, his friends will come next week. That's why we prepared the mansion, after all.

Eren cleared his throat, "if I may ask, why do you have to go shopping ?"

I glanced at him before looking in front of me, the grass gently swaying with the wind, "I have to meet my future in-laws for the first time Sunday. It will be in a fancy restaurant, but I have nothing to wear."

Suddenly I felt someone coming from behind. I was afraid of who it may be but I wasn't getting any chills on my back, so I supposed that I was good. This someone came sitting next to me, followed by other people.

I turned around and my eyes met Petra's who was smiling at me. I hadn't really got the occasion to have some chit chat with Levi's team and I secretly hoped that I could get closer to Petra, because she seemed so nice.

"So…" she began, smirking maliciously at me, but without evil thoughts behind it, "you have to meet your in-laws… and your fiancé ? You didn't tell me !"

"I never had the occasion to do so," I scratched the back of my head. It was slightly embarrassing. We never really talked together and yet she knows more about my love life than Hange right now.

"Tell us, when was the first time you met him ?" Petra asked.

"Tch. As if it was important- ouch !" A man sitting in front of me spoke up, but Heavens punished him and he bit his tongue.

I ignored Oluo and turned to Petra, "I've never met him. It's an arranged marriage. Sunday will be my first time I will see him, actually."

Eren looked at me, "what ? But it's unfair !" He frowned and I found it cute.

I pat his head, "thank you for worrying, young one."

Eld spoke up, "unfortunately, life is like that. It's unfair. I think you already understood that, Eren."

"But still…" he drank some water.

Gunther was eyeing the young boy, he didn't seem reassured, plus he was sitting right in front of him.

Oluo spoke up again, "he doesn't seem to memorize anything anyway, this _brat_."

Petra sighed deeply, "could you stop trying to imitate Levi, please. You're ridiculous."

Petra seemed at odds with Oluo, and I had to admit that even though he was strong, he could get on my nerves easily. He didn't even have to talk directly to me, sometimes hearing him from afar was enough.

"And you can't even compare to him," I added, mumbling, as I crossed my arms.

I looked at the table with intensity, ready to think about what I will buy. I could see Eld take a glance behind me and Oluo became as white as a sheet of paper in the corner of my eyes, but didn't really pay attention to it. Eld looked back at me and he slightly surprised me. He wasn't the most talkative of the group but here he was trying to hold a conversation.

"And why can't he compare ?"

I frowned and closed my eyes. _Why did I say that ?_ I was ready to concentrate on my imaginary list but now I have to think about something else, and even if it bothered me a bit, thinking about my Lance Corporal qualities wasn't unpleasant.

A memory flashed in my mind. I was running laps for my training and I saw him, somewhere where he couldn't be too bothered by others, exercising too. Shirtless. Even if he was meters away from me, I could clearly see his chiseled chest. When he was doing crunches, I could see his abs contracting. Then I tripped on my feet and fell. I even managed to eat the grass and the flowers with it. I spat everything and hoped that nobody saw me fall because I was ogling the Lance Corporal exercising.

I tried to stand back on my feet when I heard someone coming towards me. Of course it was Levi, who hadn't bothered putting a shirt on. Since I was kneeling, my eyes were right in front of his abdomen. I could see beads of sweat rolling on his defined muscles. A sight I will never forget. I let my eyes travel from his navel to his face. His hair was stuck to his face and I wondered, knowing how much of a clean freak he was, how he could keep his calm being this dirty. I saw his eyes. There it was. This sparkle. We looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, but it felt like eternity. He eventually broke the silence. He swallowed his saliva, his Adam's apple bobbing, preparing himself to speak.

"Are you okay ?"

I looked at the stretched hand and I glanced at him to see if he was joking or something, but I remembered that he wasn't the type to joke so I just took this opportunity. I took his hand in mine and it felt like electricity coursed in my veins, sending me chills everywhere, even though it wasn't cold outside. He helped me stand up.

I licked my lips, "thank you," I saw him staring intently at my lips and wondered if there was something wrong.

"You have a petal here," he pointed at the corner of his lips and I could feel myself blush out of shame. I tried to get rid of the petal but I heard him click his tongue, "no brat, not this side. Wait."

He took a step towards me and put a hand on my face. With his other hand, he tried to take the petal that was stuck on my skin. He was concentrating on what was left of the flower I spat while I just kept staring at him. He was just too perfect at this moment. His eyes, showing his concentration, and this spark, that I felt was bigger than a few minutes ago, his hair that smelled like shampoo. I could feel his hot breath finish its course on my skin, my lips, my neck. His high nose and firm lips made him more handsome.

I felt like hallucinating, was it me or did he become hotter than a few minutes before ? Well it wasn't just that, I felt my body temperature rise too, and my heartbeat go faster. Maybe it was just the proximity between our two bodies that made me feel like that.

When he suddenly stepped away from me and detached himself away from me, I felt cold. The gentle wind that caressed our two bodies made me shiver slightly.

"Why did you have something like that on your face ? You thought that you could eat grass like a cow ?"

Yeah. Right. During these minutes I almost forgot that he hated me. I was ready to pinch myself to see if it was all a dream, because honestly, it has been too good to be true. I wanted to retort something. Or even find an excuse. He didn't think highly of me, so if I could avoid being compared to a ruminant, I would be glad. But nothing came out of my mouth. I just blushed slightly. He clicked his tongue and sighed. I could see that he was annoyed, his eyes told everything, even the small sparkle died down a bit.

"Why do I want explanations from a good-for-nothing daisy-eater. I should go back to training," he mostly told it for himself. He didn't waste any second and left as soon as he finished his sentence.

A voice teared me from my thoughts, "I asked you a question," it was Eld, looking at me like I was crazy or something. In all honesty, I was probably a bit crazy. Being with Hange can have some consequences sometimes.

I felt myself blush slightly. Why was I remembering that, right now ? Now I had to answer his questions, with the image of the shirtless man inked in my mind.

I tried to find my words, "because he's scarier," _are you okay ?_ That's what he had asked me, and he seemed concerned. At least more concerned than usual, "he… is cooler ?" Images of the short man training while I was running flashes in my mind but I tried to brush it off, "his hair smells good."

This fact earned some questioning looks from the ones sitting at the table. Petra was slightly nodding. I didn't really see them and their puzzled looks, so I carried on.

"He has beautiful eyes, he's well built, he can be gentle sometimes even though most of the time he's rough, and he's generally handsome."

I sighed. _And those kissable lips._ Why was I thinking about that ? He hated me. He was always on my back trying to make me feel bad.

Gunther chuckled, "we asked for characteristics, not an eulogy."

I smiled, "sorry."

I didn't know what happened to me. Why had I said all that ? They will think weirdly of me. Why was I talking about our Lance Corporal like that ?

"Mrs. (L/n), can I know why you are here, talking with my team ?"

My eyes widened and I froze. I gulped and slowly turned around. The males in front of me didn't seem very surprised. _Did they know he was here ? Perhaps… did Eld make me say all that knowing that he was behind me all the time ?_ I looked up and saw a very, _very_ angry short man. His eyes sent weapons deadlier than daggers, but this sparkle, once again was here and it shined so bright. Why everytime he looked at me, it was in his eyes ?

"Yes Lance Corporal ?" I stuttered and I felt the boy next to me shiver in fear.

"I asked you something, you nothing-for-brain !" He barked at me like he was about to kill me, which he will probably do someday.

"Oh yes ! I have a free afternoon !" I cleared my throat and stood up, "I should go, by the way," I saluted him and started to walk off.

He was so close to me. He was almost two meters away from me, but he wasn't always so close to me. Part of me wanted to run away, in fear of being beaten up by the man who was approximately my height, but another part of me wanted to run towards him and close the space that was between us.

"Stop here."

I obeyed. Why could he control me like I was his puppet ? His dominant voice made me weak, and I was a pacifist. I won't be the type to pick a fight.

"Where are you going ?" He asked.

I felt numerous pairs of eyes on my back as I turned around, my eyes meeting his. I straightened my back and gathered up my courage, "I have to run some errands. I have to buy something nice to wear for Sunday because," I paused. Was it smart to tell him the truth ? I didn't know but I felt like it was the best choice, to tell him the truth, "because Sunday will be the first time I meet my fiancé, and I don't have anything nice to wear. So I thought that I could use this free afternoon to-"

"No."

His voice was dark and deeper, and honestly, if I wanted to disappear before because of his look, now I wanted to die right on the spot. But the worst thing was that I couldn't say anything. I was left muted, immobilized, like a statue. I didn't know what to say nor to do. So I didn't move.

Petra stood up and approached him, "Levi. Let her at least buy a new dress-"

"I said no," he glared at Petra before glaring at you once again, "no more free afternoon today. Concentrate on your work. You have the fate of humanity in your hands, no time for love affairs."

I looked away and bit my bottom lip. Levi stomped towards me and forcefully grabbed my jaw. Once again, he was so close, glaring at me. These grey eyes boring holes through my skull. I secretly wished they could show something else than hatred when he looked at me, but you can't have everything in life.

"And don't bite your lips," he growled before releasing my jaw and walking away.

Petra looked at him, then at me. Everyone that was here was just in shock. Eren was the first one to speak.

"I didn't know he hated you that much."

Petra took my hand to reassure me, "if you want, I can lend you one of my dresses ? It won't be the best, probably, but if it can help you, then I will be glad."

I finally could move again, as I turned my head to look at Petra. I smiled at her, "don't worry, it's okay. Everything should do," I retracted my hand from her hold and cleared my throat, "well. I think I should go see Hange now. She probably needs help with her research or something."

With these words, I walked away and I wondered. Did he hear everything ? So that was why he was angrier at me than ever ? Or perhaps he was in an awfully bad mood. But then my brows furrowed and I wondered if he still remembered this day where he found me on the floor. Maybe because he kept calling me 'good-for-nothing daisy-eater'. Or maybe he forgot the origin of this nickname. I sighed and passed a hand through my hair. Why was he so complicated ? If only I knew why he hated me. Why he was so weird with me. Why I couldn't move nor talk when he called me names.

And why when he was holding my jaw I wanted to grab his head and kiss him so badly ?


	3. Spilling tea

I was with Hange in the kitchen, trying to cook something for our comrades, and we talked about everything and nothing. She asked me weird questions and I tried to answer them. Like for example if I had to cook something for a titan, what would it be. How much would it cost to design outfits for them. What kind of music would they like to listen. Well almost every question was about them. Until she asked something different.

"If you were in an embarrassing situation, what would you do to get away from it ?" She was peeling potatoes consciously, but as usual, she was very cheerful.

I started thinking about it. My whole life was something embarrassing when you thought about it. So it should be something specific. Suddenly someone came in the kitchen, but went straight to the cabinets. I turned my head and saw Levi, trying to reach for the teapot. I smiled at myself, seeing the man on his tiptoes, having some troubles.

"You know, I read in my books that when two characters are in a difficult position, they kiss to save the situation. That's the only pacifist thing I can think of," I said, nodding to myself satisfied with my answer, while cutting the potatoes in long strands.

I hear Levi scoff behind me. I was pretty sure he was rolling his eyes, even if I couldn't see him. I had to take a big bowl to put all my ready to fry French fries. I walked past Hange and bent over to reach the handle of the cupboard.

I was searching for the bowl with the right size when I suddenly felt a pair of hands on my hips, first it was delicate, then the grip was strong, and I was pushed away. Levi crouched, took a big bowl and handed it to me with little to no care. It even hurt when it came in contact with my ribs. I didn't quite understand why he was doing that but decided to brush it off for now. Today was Saturday and it was almost D-Day. I felt a bit nervous and after what happened the day before I didn't want any conflict with Levi.

"Speaking of kissing," Hange spoke up, and something told me that she had something dwelling in her mind, but sometimes reading her was complicated, "have you ever kissed someone ?" She eyes me, her eyes glistening with malice.

I blushed slightly, a bit embarrassed, "no. Never," I was 24 and I never kissed someone. At this age, women tend to already be married, some are even pregnant, and here I was, having teenagers' conversation with my friend.

"You will be married soon. You know you see the fiancé, and some weeks after the marriage ceremony is done," she smiled at me as I was putting the french fries in the bowl.

We heard a loud noise coming from Levi's side. He apparently put his tea cup on the table too loudly. He was gritting his teeth and waited for the water to finish boiling, his long fingers aggressively tapping on the surface of the cupboard, impatiently.

Your eyes went back to Hange who seemed happier than a few minutes ago, "that means you're inexperienced. Don't you think it would be better if you trained ?"

"What ?"

"Isn't it better if you were good at what you were doing for your husband, so he doesn't think lowly of you ?"

"I thought that it was better to preserve everything for the right one…"

"Nah. That's over. We're in the present now, we're not talking about our grandparents' youth here."

"But how can I improve ? Reading books isn't enough ?"

"Unfortunately no. But if you need a partner for training, I'm sure that our Lance Corporal would be happy to help you !"

She said that with so much enthusiasm, she seemed so convinced of herself, it shook me, and I wasn't the only one. Levi looked at her in disbelief, and when he came back to earth, he noticed that he almost spilled tea all over the place because he hadn't stopped filling his cup. He sighed.

I cleared my throat, "hum, Hange…"

"Shitty glasses," Levi spoke up, "shut up if you don't want to endure the punishment of your life."

He glared at her and she chuckled nervously before excusing herself. He left the kitchen to go back to his room, where he had papers to work on.

We went back to work again. I wondered what went through her mind to talk about Levi like that. She just got scolded but here she was, smiling to herself, satisfied. Even when I had announced to her that I had a fiancé, she wasn't that enthusiastic.  _ Maybe she's just a masochist. That would explain a lot of things. _

I was cleaning the area while Hange was frying the potatoes when I noticed that Levi forgot to take his tea with him. I looked at my friend, but she was already busy. I sighed and took the cup. I warned her that I will be away for a few minutes. I apprehended the action of bringing him his tea, but since I was the only one available, I had to do it.

I went upstairs and gently knocked on his door.

I heard some rustling, sounds of paper, a throat clearing and finally, "name and business," could be heard from the other side of the door.

I took a deep breath, "(y/n) (l/n), you forgot your tea downstairs, I came to bring it."

I heard him curse and hurry towards the door. He opened it and revealed his bedraggled figure. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing his collarbones, his cravat was sprawled on his desk, and I could see the lame attempt at being presentable by the fact that his shirt was going out of his pants. His hair was messy and the sparkle in his eyes were brighter than ever. His face resonated seriousness but I could see that the tip of his ears were slightly red.

"Stop staring. What do you want, the Patchouli eater ?" His request was harsh, and I felt like pouring his precious tea on him. But I knew better. And I felt more like taking off his shirt than anything else, these collar bones were driving me crazy.

"I told you that I had to bring you tea because you forgot it downstairs," I handed him his cup.

"Oh. Yeah," He took it.

His fingers brushed mine and once again I felt this shiver down my spine. But it was pleasurable. Not one that makes you uncomfortable. Those long fingers… I found them sinful. I unconsciously licked my lips and when I looked up, I saw Levi staring at me with a lot of attention. He looked down at my figure and mentally cursed. He pointed at my abdomen.

"What's that ?"

I looked down and knew exactly what he was talking about, "oh, I tied a knot on my shirt because I was too hot in the kitchen."

"It's indecent. Cover your stomach. You will be married soon, don't you have no virtues, woman ?"

I looked down shamefully. He was right. I was about to meet my fiancé. I couldn't walk like that. I untied the knot of my shirt and Levi was about to close the door when Eren came to us.

"Oh, you're both here ? Good ! I was told that I had to tell you that dinner was ready !"

He smiled at us and I smiled back, "thank you Eren, you're the sweetest."

Happy with that he went back to the lunchroom. When I turned around to look at Levi, he was rolling his eyes.  _ Here _ he told me while handing me his cup, with his non-existent gentleness, spilling tea on my white shirt. It burnt a bit and I winced. Why should he be this harsh ? Why couldn't he tell me that he had a problem with me, instead of burning me with his tea.

When he heard me wince he stopped walking away and took a look at me before hurrying towards me, "shit. Are you hurt ?" He started to unbutton my shirt and I inhaled sharply, when I grabbed his wrist.

"Levi. I can do it on my own. You don't have to undress me," I became quiet at how sinful it could sound like.

Levi stopped his actions. It could look like a painting, because both of us were as stoic as statues. Levi's eyes trailed from his fingers to my eyes and we stayed like that for a few seconds. I plunged my eyes into his and saw that his iris were dilated.

His voice… his voice was so tempting. Low and sweet like honey, "you're dirty," he let his gaze fall on my lips, "you should clean yourself."

"Yeah," I said in a low voice.

I hesitated to move but finally complied as the others could grow curious about why it takes so much time for us to come. I detached myself from his grip and took his hand before giving him back his cup. I let my fingers trail on his hand for a few more seconds before stepping away. I took another glance at the disheveled man before going to my room.

Once the door was closed, I unbuttoned my shirt and threw it. The cloth was sticking to my skin and it was unpleasant. I put my back against the door and slided down. I took a few breaths to recollect myself. Part of me wished he unbuttoned everything, but I knew that it was wrong to think about my Lance Corporal like that.

Speaking about that, why did he have this appearance ? He was a man who liked being clean, well dressed and presentable. Was he too hot so he fanned himself by shaking his shirt ? That was the only thing that made sense in my head.

The cold surface of the floor helped me cool down, because even though I wasn't a titan, I could almost see steam coming from my body. His voice still rang in my ear. My hand unconsciously travelled to my chest, where I could feel my heart pounding. I didn't remember when it's crazy pace started, but if it was back there, then there was a chance that he felt it.

I took a deep breath and stood up, my skin was wet from the tea spilled and some drops were racing down my chest. I cleaned myself and put on another shirt.  _ That was my last shirt. I hope I won't stain this one. _ I looked at myself in the mirror. It seemed that I regained composure. I nodded to myself and headed downstairs.

When I arrived in the lunchroom, they were already eating. I sat next to Hange, as always, and took a fork in my hand. I excused myself for being late and told them that it's because I had to change. They smiled at me and Petra told me that it was nothing.

However Levi was giving me a death glare. Honestly I couldn't understand this man. He was hot and one second after he was cold. What happened in his brain ?

"Oi, Nothing for brain ! You think it's okay to come late for dinner !"

I looked at him and felt paralyzed. I couldn't answer him, and I wish I could because so much words that I could tell him came in my brain. Or so I thought. Everything was blank. No answer. Nothing. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it right after. I decided that it was better to ignore him and just eat.

Petra sighed, "that's why it's tiring to eat with you two. You always seems like killing each other each time you cross path."

Gunther nodded, "Levi is scary, but her glare was something else. I wouldn't like being the one she glares at."

He told us that as if it was totally normal, like it happened everyday, but did it really happened everyday ?  _ Do I really glare at him ? _ I was puzzled and looked at everyone at the table. They didn't told him that he was wrong, on the contrary, it seemed like they didn't really paid attention and carried on eating.

Levi spoke up again, "well, if she dares glare at me again, I promise her that I will punish her like there is no tomorrow."

A shiver went down my spine. What did he meant by that ? What kind of punishment ? I nervously bit my lip and he hit the table with his fist, surprising everybody, even the poor Eren who looked worned out.

"Enough. Tomorrow, you're running laps. You will run until you're so tired that your legs can't help you stand up anymore."

"But-"

"That's final."

I looked down at my plate. Tomorrow was my day off and I wanted to look good for the evening, but if I have to run for hours, there is no way I can stay up late. Gosh, I hated him too, sometimes. Well most of the time. If it wasn't for this weird attraction, I would probably have killed him.

I stood up and left without a word. My plate was almost finished, but I couldn't stand being here any longer. They looked at me walking away, and Petra slightly kicked Levi in the ribs with her elbow.

Tonight, Hange wanted to continue her researches –she can be a workaholic sometimes– and Petra asked me if I wanted to take a bath with her. So here we were, in the bath, cleaning ourselves. The old wooden bath was big, easily allowing two, and maybe three people in it. Of course Levi didn't know that. If he knew I was bathing with someone of his team he would freak out and probably beat me up.

The water level was at my chin, and I looked at Petra, who was washing her arm. I sighed. She was pretty, nice and caring. She could have every men at her feet. So why ?

"Do you like Levi ?"

She stopped what she was doing and looked at me in the eyes. She was probably puzzled by my voice that came out as monotone and the jaded look that I gave her as I was asking a question this intimate.

She blushed slightly and let her arm plunge in water. She put the soap aside and touched her hair. You mentally chuckled, she looked like a young teenage girl who had been asked who was her crush.

"Can I be honest with you ?" She asked, but she didn't wait for the answer, "yes. I've liked him for a long time already."

"Why do you like him ?" I was interested in what she had to say. I mean he was always mean with me, insulted everybody and seemed like nothing interested him.

"Well he can be nice and caring, because I know he cares about us. Even you… I'm sure he cares for you, even a bit."

I scoffed, "is caring another word for bullying in your dictionary ?"

"No trust me ! I'm sure that if you ever get in troubles one day, he will help you out," she grabbed my hand and smiled slightly at me, trying to convince me and I sighed. I side eyed her and rolled my eyes. Nonsense.

I thought about earlier, when he wanted to help me as soon as he spilled tea on me. He seemed concerned. Same thing for the time he helped me when I fell.

I detached myself from her grip. I grabbed a soap and started cleaning myself energetically. I know I was the one who asked first, but because of this conversation I was slightly angry now.

She carried on cleaning herself too, "why do you hate him ?"

She didn't look at me, as she was rubbing her soap on her leg. I tried to think. Why did I hate him ? Beside this weird atmosphere when we were alone, atmosphere that thickened when he got closer to me, that left me wanting to do things that I couldn't even comprehend myself… I hated almost everything.

"The way he makes me lose my credibility with my team. Well now I don't have this problem right now but when the new youngsters will come, I will have a new team. So my personal Hell will start again. He always insults me. He even invented brand new ones just for me. He punishes me for nothing. He always thinks he's superior to me. He's always mocking me. And…" I eyed her. Should I tell her or not ? No, "and… that's everything I can think of for now."

Petra giggled, "well that's a lot of things. But you know, our Lance Corporal can be quite rough with his words sometimes. Please don't mind it, he just doesn't know how to express himself."

"Well he should learn. And trust me, he hates me too. Since months already."

She smiled innocently and laid back for a bit, "I know, but isn't he handsome ? What I like the most is his mouth. Even though his breath often smells like tea."

"I don't know. He tends to not approach me like I'm the plague or something."

"What do you like in him ?"

"His eyes," I said, without thinking about it. My answer was probably to fast.

She laughed, "okay ! Why ? Let's talk about positive things !"

I sighed and laid back too. I looked at the ceiling. Honestly I didn't really know the answer myself. It was just the feature I looked at the most with him. Because they were enticing, addictive, cold but at the same time inviting. When they shone with this weird sparkle, I could totally lose my self control, I felt it l, deep down in my stomach. Each time I looked at him in the eyes, I wanted to get closer to him. I saw hatred… or was it wrath ? Could it possibly just be anger ? If it was anger that was towards me, that didn't change anything, but if it was anger towards himself… then why would this anger reflect on his eyes if he was angry towards himself ?

"I like the color," I managed to say. I was getting confused by all these questions and I almost forgot to answer her.

When we finished washing ourselves, we went back to our room. I smashed my body against the mattress, tired of today, but also eager for tomorrow. I went to sleep, thinking about how my fiancé could look like.


End file.
